Why is there so much dysfunction in Congress? Constitutional scholar Ian Millhiser says, simply, it is “deeply baked into the legislative system.”

Author and demographer Phillip Longman has some surprising data about how your job determines how long you live, and how winning an Oscar affects health in Hollywood.

And Bill Press talks with Brendon Ayanbadejo of the world champion Baltimore Ravens about safety on the gridiron — and gay rights.

Feb. 17, 2013Which house of Congress better represents the people? And how does winning an Oscar affect your health? Some surprising answers today.

Ian MillhiserConstitutional law expert Ian Millhiser says the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court may not lead to more Republicans, but it will lead to worse Democrats. He also says because of gerrymandering, the so-called “upper House,” the Senate, is actually more representative of the American people than the “people’s house.”

Phillip LongmanDo race and class matter in health care? Absolutely, says demographer Phillip Longman. It is not only the level of socioeconomic status, it is the disparity between the races and income levels that kills people.

Jim Hightower has spent three decades battling the "powers that be on behalf of the powers that ought to be."

Twice elected Texas Agriculture Commissioner, Hightower believes that the true political spectrum is not right to left but top to bottom, and he has become a leading national voice for the 90 percent of the public who no longer find themselves within shouting distance of the Washington and Wall Street powers at the top.

As political columnist Molly Ivins said, "If Will Rogers and Mother Jones had a baby, Jim Hightower would be that rambunctious child — mad as hell, with a sense of humor."

To read his latest commentaries and subscribe to his monthly Hightower Lowdown, go to www.JimHightower.com.